Sunday, October 31, 2004
31 October
Its Halloween, a new festival in Italy, and felt to be a little too pagan. Schools in Sicily are being paid to avoid the mention of it, in the hope that the traditional All Saints Day customs are kept alive. Children receiving sweets from the spirits on All Hallows Eve, troop off en famille to the cemetery the next morning to thank the dead people for yesterday’s goodies.
Apparently Halloween has taken root in the more Americanised north of the country, but here in Naples its possible to buy lots of cheap plastic rubbish that only serves to make a few people very rich. A triumph of marketing over substance.
Like all feast days here, the talk is more of the inevitable family meal than anything else. I chatted to a friend of mine today and in reply to the question, what will you do on your day off tomorrow?, the answer came, ‘My mother is cooking many fish, so we will eat them’ No visits to the garden centre here. In fact when I asked what he was doing tonight, the answer came that he was taking his mother shopping for the food to be consumed tomorrow. It seems more than ever the case that Neapolitan mothers spend their lives in the kitchen preparing vast quanitities of food.
Its Halloween, a new festival in Italy, and felt to be a little too pagan. Schools in Sicily are being paid to avoid the mention of it, in the hope that the traditional All Saints Day customs are kept alive. Children receiving sweets from the spirits on All Hallows Eve, troop off en famille to the cemetery the next morning to thank the dead people for yesterday’s goodies.
Apparently Halloween has taken root in the more Americanised north of the country, but here in Naples its possible to buy lots of cheap plastic rubbish that only serves to make a few people very rich. A triumph of marketing over substance.
Like all feast days here, the talk is more of the inevitable family meal than anything else. I chatted to a friend of mine today and in reply to the question, what will you do on your day off tomorrow?, the answer came, ‘My mother is cooking many fish, so we will eat them’ No visits to the garden centre here. In fact when I asked what he was doing tonight, the answer came that he was taking his mother shopping for the food to be consumed tomorrow. It seems more than ever the case that Neapolitan mothers spend their lives in the kitchen preparing vast quanitities of food.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Another summer's day, but I chose to spend it at the Capodimonte art gallery. A new exhibition has just opened... the last four years of Caravaggio's life and they have pulled out all the stops. They have managed to garner virtually every picture, apart from the ones he did in Malta. The Maltese don't feel like lending them apparently, they are all the culture they have.
Nevertheless they have lifesize digital photos of them and they'renot half bad. The rest of the show is incredible. Whatsmore I think its going off to the National Gallery at the end of its run here, so book early as Fred Pontin would urge you to do. http://www.caravaggioultimotempo.it
One of the high spots, is an interactive dvd which allows you to zoom and crop and inspect in ridiculous close up any painting.. and annoyingly they're not planning on selling the dvd to punters. Madness.
In the UK I would have had to book a ticket 3 months ago and appear on the dot of 11.15, but here I wandered in midday, and shared the entire exhibition (and the rest of the museum which is one of the best in Italy) with 15 others. All for 10 euros. So a cheap day out. THe fly in the ointment was that I had to walk back to the city as the traffic was 'in tilt' as the Italians would have it.
With the day of the dead approaching, the shops are full of fabulous 'torrone' a chocolate nougat confection filled with pistachio or cassata or almonds. I could eat it by the kilo, but my teeth protest.
And it's a long weekend... All saints Day being a holiday here on Monday. Weather set fair, so there will no doubt be a trip to the beach somewhere along the line.
Nevertheless they have lifesize digital photos of them and they'renot half bad. The rest of the show is incredible. Whatsmore I think its going off to the National Gallery at the end of its run here, so book early as Fred Pontin would urge you to do. http://www.caravaggioultimotempo.it
One of the high spots, is an interactive dvd which allows you to zoom and crop and inspect in ridiculous close up any painting.. and annoyingly they're not planning on selling the dvd to punters. Madness.
In the UK I would have had to book a ticket 3 months ago and appear on the dot of 11.15, but here I wandered in midday, and shared the entire exhibition (and the rest of the museum which is one of the best in Italy) with 15 others. All for 10 euros. So a cheap day out. THe fly in the ointment was that I had to walk back to the city as the traffic was 'in tilt' as the Italians would have it.
With the day of the dead approaching, the shops are full of fabulous 'torrone' a chocolate nougat confection filled with pistachio or cassata or almonds. I could eat it by the kilo, but my teeth protest.
And it's a long weekend... All saints Day being a holiday here on Monday. Weather set fair, so there will no doubt be a trip to the beach somewhere along the line.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
The first question any student asks when they know I am English is, invariably, 'Do the English have a cup of tea every afternoon at 5pm'? They seem genuinely astonished when I say that it isn't the case any more. The reciprocal question... 'Do the Neapolitans eat pasta every day?' is met with a resounding 'yes'.
Two years ago in my diary I wrote: 'October 15th, and 28 degrees. Yesterday, being a Sunday, Naples went to the beach. It made the front pages this morning. Lido’s are going to be open all year round. And, unlike such a story in England, there was not one mention of global warming. '
Friday reached the dizzy heights of 32 degrees up the coast. Now the lidos are open all year round, and are packed. The shopkeepers are looking increasingly glum as they have yet to shift one furlined winter coat. Benetton's multi coloured scarves and jumpers remain folded on the shelves and nobody is partaking of the warm icecream
Things are hotting up too for Christmas. The paper stand now sells a magazine with Christmas decorating ideas. Issue One came out in August. They’re way ahead of the English, Regent Street hasn’t even got round to deciding whether to ditch the lights this year for want of a sponsor. The focus for life switches from the beach side to the town center in the autumn. The theatres have reopened with their autumn seasons and the cinemas are well patronized having been closed for three months over the summer. Via Toledo buzzes until midnight, and the street sellers have vacated the Lungomare in favour of the centro storico. Fake Prada and joss sticks are the illegal traders stock of choice this year. Ice creams are still selling like hot cakes. And I for one am there queuing for my cone. Autumn flavours have come, and I would queue for days for walnut or mandarin falvoured icecream.
The third weekend of the month sees the antique fair out in the Villa Communale. What looks worth buying is undoubtedly a fake, and the rest of the stuff is junk. Even the stall holders seem to acknowledge this as they set up their stalls on a Saturday morning. By lunchtime the days business is done, and instead of packing everything up only to come back bright and early on the following day, the stock is merely covered in a tarpaulin and tied down. The dealers go off for a long lunch and a lazy afternoon leaving all their goods at the mercy of the Neapolitan criminal fraternity. And nothing seems to get stolen. Either because its not worth nicking or because there are sinister forces at work that deter would be thieves. I like to think it’s the former, but somehow, being Naples, I would bet on the latter.
I wandered round the stalls this morning. There was still stuff there that I had seen when I was here a year ago. Turnover is not great in the antiques business. Or perhaps it is, and the workshop just produces an identical ‘antique’ to replace the one sold. There are always enough people flocking round in the hope of finding a bargain, and most of them are local, so there must be something worth buying among the religious bits and bobs, and dumpy dark furniture. I just have yet to find it.
Sunday morning sees the pleasure seekers out on the Lungomare, walking, renting bikes, skateboarding and rollerblading, as well as partaking of ice creams and chestnuts, corn on the cob and friarelli. The latter are an assortment of deep fried geegaws, rice, potato, aubergine, bread with seaweed, and shrimps. They are delicious, and form a staple snack in Naples, snack time being whenever you aren’t sitting down to a huge meal.
The new kid on the block of ice cream flavours is chestnut, so everyone is now aware that Christmas is on the way. At the same time that you can buy the frozen version, hot chestnuts are for sale on every street corner, popping from the braziers, which seem a little incongruous when the temperature is still in the high 20’s. At the weekend the clocks go back, which just means I will have to get up an hour earlier to sunbathe.
Two years ago in my diary I wrote: 'October 15th, and 28 degrees. Yesterday, being a Sunday, Naples went to the beach. It made the front pages this morning. Lido’s are going to be open all year round. And, unlike such a story in England, there was not one mention of global warming. '
Friday reached the dizzy heights of 32 degrees up the coast. Now the lidos are open all year round, and are packed. The shopkeepers are looking increasingly glum as they have yet to shift one furlined winter coat. Benetton's multi coloured scarves and jumpers remain folded on the shelves and nobody is partaking of the warm icecream
Things are hotting up too for Christmas. The paper stand now sells a magazine with Christmas decorating ideas. Issue One came out in August. They’re way ahead of the English, Regent Street hasn’t even got round to deciding whether to ditch the lights this year for want of a sponsor. The focus for life switches from the beach side to the town center in the autumn. The theatres have reopened with their autumn seasons and the cinemas are well patronized having been closed for three months over the summer. Via Toledo buzzes until midnight, and the street sellers have vacated the Lungomare in favour of the centro storico. Fake Prada and joss sticks are the illegal traders stock of choice this year. Ice creams are still selling like hot cakes. And I for one am there queuing for my cone. Autumn flavours have come, and I would queue for days for walnut or mandarin falvoured icecream.
The third weekend of the month sees the antique fair out in the Villa Communale. What looks worth buying is undoubtedly a fake, and the rest of the stuff is junk. Even the stall holders seem to acknowledge this as they set up their stalls on a Saturday morning. By lunchtime the days business is done, and instead of packing everything up only to come back bright and early on the following day, the stock is merely covered in a tarpaulin and tied down. The dealers go off for a long lunch and a lazy afternoon leaving all their goods at the mercy of the Neapolitan criminal fraternity. And nothing seems to get stolen. Either because its not worth nicking or because there are sinister forces at work that deter would be thieves. I like to think it’s the former, but somehow, being Naples, I would bet on the latter.
I wandered round the stalls this morning. There was still stuff there that I had seen when I was here a year ago. Turnover is not great in the antiques business. Or perhaps it is, and the workshop just produces an identical ‘antique’ to replace the one sold. There are always enough people flocking round in the hope of finding a bargain, and most of them are local, so there must be something worth buying among the religious bits and bobs, and dumpy dark furniture. I just have yet to find it.
Sunday morning sees the pleasure seekers out on the Lungomare, walking, renting bikes, skateboarding and rollerblading, as well as partaking of ice creams and chestnuts, corn on the cob and friarelli. The latter are an assortment of deep fried geegaws, rice, potato, aubergine, bread with seaweed, and shrimps. They are delicious, and form a staple snack in Naples, snack time being whenever you aren’t sitting down to a huge meal.
The new kid on the block of ice cream flavours is chestnut, so everyone is now aware that Christmas is on the way. At the same time that you can buy the frozen version, hot chestnuts are for sale on every street corner, popping from the braziers, which seem a little incongruous when the temperature is still in the high 20’s. At the weekend the clocks go back, which just means I will have to get up an hour earlier to sunbathe.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Huge excitement on the icecream front. As the weather is apparently getting colder and more wintry, last night saw the dawn of ‘hot’ ice cream. Bizarrely it isn’t, but isn’t cold either, sort of room temperature, so doesn’t harm your teeth and can be eaten in the belief that you don’t need cooling down. Its marvellous stuff, like a solid mousse. I had almond and was much taken with it. Thank God I don’t have a nut allergy, or life wouldn’t be worth living.
I have determined to make my own presepe this year. The cost of transporting a ready made one back to England would be prohibitive, and they cant be that difficult to make, its only a bit of wood and bark. Famous last words I suspect, and I have already spent fifty quid on bits and bobs, and have yet to start the purchase of the actual pastori, or little ceramic figures to decorate the bleedin thing. Its going to be an expensive exercise for something that will undoubtedly end up looking like a failed Blue Peter model. I am planning a ruined temple in a sylvan pasture, with a waterfall and holy family hidden in a cave. I suspect it will look like a wet mess with some dolls in it. I shall keep you informed. However, most of my waking hours are spent making little plans, and shopping lists. There are so many bits and bobs to buy, its quite a task. But great fun, as you can start little and then accrue more nad more buildings. In the larger churches there are whole towns made of cork and terracotta. I plan for mine to be a work of beauty and a joy forever, but I know it will be consigned to the bin shortly after Boxing Day.
I have determined to make my own presepe this year. The cost of transporting a ready made one back to England would be prohibitive, and they cant be that difficult to make, its only a bit of wood and bark. Famous last words I suspect, and I have already spent fifty quid on bits and bobs, and have yet to start the purchase of the actual pastori, or little ceramic figures to decorate the bleedin thing. Its going to be an expensive exercise for something that will undoubtedly end up looking like a failed Blue Peter model. I am planning a ruined temple in a sylvan pasture, with a waterfall and holy family hidden in a cave. I suspect it will look like a wet mess with some dolls in it. I shall keep you informed. However, most of my waking hours are spent making little plans, and shopping lists. There are so many bits and bobs to buy, its quite a task. But great fun, as you can start little and then accrue more nad more buildings. In the larger churches there are whole towns made of cork and terracotta. I plan for mine to be a work of beauty and a joy forever, but I know it will be consigned to the bin shortly after Boxing Day.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Back from Venice and back to work. I'm easing myself in gently this year, starting with a mere 8 hours a week before the onslaught arrives at the end of the month. And it's just as well, the weather is still gorgeous and I'm able to go and sit by the sea most days.
My residence is seemingly sorted, and all is well with the world. Or it would be if I could understand the famed 'bandi di concorsi' which is the only means you can legitimately get a job here. No bunging an ad in the Guardian in Italy, instead the powers that be hold a concorso, an entrance exam and interview which all applicants have to take. The winner (ie he or she who gets the most points out of 100) gets the job. It's all designed to be squeaky clean and fair, which in a place like Naples is important. However, it's still easy to come top if your interview is accompanied by large denomination notes left on the desk... or so I am told.
nevertheless, I havent even got to the interview part, I am wrestling with the application form. 15 pages of typescript telling me that I have to have duplicate certificated photocopies, authorised translations, copies of all certificates in 2 languages, proof I have never committed fraud, etc etc. Gone are the days of a badly written note and a crumpled CV.
I'll let you know if i get to the interview stage... but don't hold your breath.
There's a camorra turf war at the moment, in the less salubrious parts of the city. Torre Annunziata to be exact. It's not glamourous as it would be in Hollywood. This is a tale of a fat bloke on a moped being shot in the face by another fat bloke on a slightly faster moped. But tehre were 4 murders on Thursday.
The worry is that micro criminality is discouraging tourists. The new red doubledecker tour buses now have an unmarked escort as the trippers are being relieved of the rolexes and bags as soon as they step off.
My residence is seemingly sorted, and all is well with the world. Or it would be if I could understand the famed 'bandi di concorsi' which is the only means you can legitimately get a job here. No bunging an ad in the Guardian in Italy, instead the powers that be hold a concorso, an entrance exam and interview which all applicants have to take. The winner (ie he or she who gets the most points out of 100) gets the job. It's all designed to be squeaky clean and fair, which in a place like Naples is important. However, it's still easy to come top if your interview is accompanied by large denomination notes left on the desk... or so I am told.
nevertheless, I havent even got to the interview part, I am wrestling with the application form. 15 pages of typescript telling me that I have to have duplicate certificated photocopies, authorised translations, copies of all certificates in 2 languages, proof I have never committed fraud, etc etc. Gone are the days of a badly written note and a crumpled CV.
I'll let you know if i get to the interview stage... but don't hold your breath.
There's a camorra turf war at the moment, in the less salubrious parts of the city. Torre Annunziata to be exact. It's not glamourous as it would be in Hollywood. This is a tale of a fat bloke on a moped being shot in the face by another fat bloke on a slightly faster moped. But tehre were 4 murders on Thursday.
The worry is that micro criminality is discouraging tourists. The new red doubledecker tour buses now have an unmarked escort as the trippers are being relieved of the rolexes and bags as soon as they step off.
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